The grants to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus program (campus program) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20125

The TX A & M University Commerce, in collaboration with four victim services organizations and three criminal justice agencies, received a $399,703 federal Project Grant award under the Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program (CFDA #16.525) from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.

Through this 3-year project, the university and partner organizations will: 1) create a coordinated community response team to oversee all activities; 2) provide prevention programming, including bystander intervention training, for all students; 3) train campus law enforcement on effective response; 4) provide 24-hour confidential victim services and advocacy; and 5) conduct ongoing training for campus personnel involved in the disciplinary process. These comprehensive efforts aim to enhance victim services, implement prevention education, and strengthen security and investigation strategies to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on the campus.

The program provides a unique opportunity for institutions of higher education to establish multidisciplinary approaches to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campuses. These comprehensive efforts are designed to enhance victim services (including legal services), implement prevention and education programs, and develop and strengthen security and investigation strategies to prevent, prosecute, and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The campus program supports activities that develop campus-based coordinated responses among campus victim services, campus law enforcement, health care providers, housing officials, administrators, student leaders, faith-based organizations, student organizations, and disciplinary boards, and enhance victim safety and assistance and hold offenders accountable. To be effective, these responses must be linked to local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors offices, courts, and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim advocacy and victim services organizations. Texas a & M university commerce is a public, hispanic serving institutionlocated in commerce, TX. With this new award, texas a & M university commerce, in collaboration with four victim services organizations: women in need, INC., hunt county rape crisis center, the family place, and catholic charities of dallas; and three criminal justice agencies: the city of commerce police department, city of commerce municipal court, and dallas district attorneys office will: 1) create a coordinated community response team to oversee all planning and implementation activities; 2) provide prevention programming, including bystander intervention and ongoing prevention activities to all students on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 3) provide ongoing training to all campus law enforcement on how to effectively respond to these crimes; 4) provide access to 24-hour confidential victim services and advocacy; and 5) conduct ongoing training to all personnel in the campus resolution process.